Penholder.



PATENTED PERM, 1905.

G.L.BLAGK. PENHOLDER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1904.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII. 'IIIIIIIIIIA viz/11111111112 iii/11711711 Patented February 14, 1905.

PAT NT OFFICE.

GILBERT L. BLACK, OF MINOA, NEW YORK.

PENHOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,540, dated February 14, 1905. Application filed May 3,1904. Serial 1101063124.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT L. BLACK, a citizen of the United States, and a. resident of Minoa, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Penholders, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of this invention is a novel construction of penholder having for its more prominent object simple and efiicient provision for permitting the butt of a pen to be introduced and firmly clamped, maintained so during use, and the expeditious release of" said pen when required without liability of the fingers of the user becoming soiled.

With the above and other purposes in view the improved penholder comprises generally a pair of extended shanks, preferably located within the metal sleeve, said shanks having at their forward ends and conveniently accessible at the sleeve-opening jaws with coacting surfaces transversely curved to adapt them when brought together to intimately clamp and hold the pen butt, the opening and closing of said jaws being controlled by a small clasp slidingly embracing the shanks and having a rearwardly-extending stem or spindle longitudinally movable in a channel therefor in the holder handle or stock, said clasp and its spindle being normally forwardly projecting to maintain the jaws closed through the medium of a thrust-spring on said stem and interposed between the rear end of the channel and a projection on the spindle, the projection being so disposed that it will laterally project through a longitudinal slot in the pen-stock and permit the retraction of the spindle and its clasp counter to the spring to effect the opening of the jaws for the release of the pen-butt. I

There are other important features connected with the invention, which, besides those alluded to, are clearly set forth in the subsequent detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of the major portion of a penholder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a somewhat similar view, but with a portion of the forward sleeve illustrated in section and the pen-holding jaws being in a closed position. Fig. 3 is a view somewhat like that preceding, the parts, however, being represented on a considerably larger scale and the pen-holding jaws being in the open position. Fig. 4; is a detail plan view of a portion of the jaw-controlling clasp, its spindle, and wedge on the latter. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail cross-sections through the forward portion of the penholder and illustrating the jaws in their closed and open positions, respectively, the plane of section being that indicated by the broken line 55,Fig.3. I

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts in the several views wherein they occur.

The handle or stock A of the holder may be of any suitable shape and materialas, for instance, woodand has rigidly mounted on the forward end the metal. tube or sleeve B, characteristic of popular constructions of holders. The tube B in the present case has, however, at one side a rearwardly-extending longitudinal tongue B, which occupies a depression therefor in the contiguous side of the stock A. This tongue contains a horizontal slot 6', which registers with a corresponding opening laterally disposed in said stock and intersecting a central longitudinal channel (0, extending rearward from the front end of the stock. With a view of aiding to maintain the tongue B in position the end portion thereof has integrally upper and lower spurs 6', which are embedded in thestock A.

\ Within the forward end of' the tube B is a jaw C, which is concavo-convex in cross-section and bears against the under surface of the upper part of the tube at its front end, said jaw being so positioned that the forward rounded portion thereof projects beyond the open end of the tube. This jaw is connected to the tube B by a rivet 0, care being observedto dress the lower end of the rivet, so that it will not impair the uniformity of the clamping-surface presented at the under side of the jaw. Integrally at the rear of the jaw C is a longitudinally-extending shank C, which may be referred to as being of passive character, inasmuch as it is not intended to partake of movement, it being positively retained at its forward end by its connection with the jaw C, while it is rigidly held at its rear end by reason of the latter being embedded in the end of the stock or handle A, as most clearly indicated in Fig. 3. It will be observed that the forward portion C of this shank is substantially horizontal, while the rear part 0 of the shank follows an upward inclination toward the rear. Also in the forward end portion of the tube B is a lower clamping-jaw D of somewhat solid character and having its upper surface transversely curved to adapt it for closely coinciding with the under face of the jaw C. This jaw D is supported on the end of a longitudinally-disposed shank D, which may be termed the active shank, because it has the capacity for moving relative to the shank C. The forward part d of the shank D is curved so that it can partake of a limited rocking movement suflicient to establish a clamping relation with its companion or be withdrawn therefrom. The rear part (1 of the shank D divergently inclines relative to the rear part of the shank C. At an intermediate point of their lengths, where the shanks are in the closest apposition, one of said shanks is provided with a pin d, which extends within a slot therefor in the other shank, which slot is sufiiciently ample to permit the rocking movement of the shank D. This pin 03 serves to maintain the shanks in their operative relation with respect to each other and insure accurate working of the jaws.

Slidingly embracing the shanks C D is a clasp E, having atone side a rearwardly-extending spindle E, a considerable part of which latter plays in the longitudinal opening a in the stock A. That part of the spindle E which is adjacent to the slot 6 of the tongue B has a lug e laterally projecting through said slot, said spindle and its clasp being normally maintained in a forwardly-projected position by an expanding spring a, embracing the spindle and bearing against a shoulder to within the channel a and also against the lug e,the forward projection of the spindle being limited by the lug coming in contact with the metal at the front end of the slot, such contact, however, being coincidentwith the full closing position of the jaws C D. At a point some distance to the rear of the sleeve E the spindle E is provided with a transversely-arranged horizontal wedge 6 oocupying a plane between the rear parts of the shanks C D. The normal tendency of the spring 6 being to maintain the spindle and its clasp forwardly projected, the clasp will be in such relation to the forward parts of the shanks C D that the jaws O D will be together, so as to firmly clamp the butt of a pen introduced between the same. This clamping action will be greatly augmented by the wedge having moved between the most closely converged portions of the-rear parts of the shanks, so as to forcesuch rear parts away from each other, and thereby bring the jaws C D in clamping relation. Now when it is desired to detach the pen without having recourse to the grasping of the same by the fingers all that is required is the retraction of the lug 6 along the slot 6, which will manifestly result in throwing open the jaws and permitting the pen to fall from between the same. The grasping-surfaces of the jaws may be roughened to increase their grasping capacity.

The improved penholder is not only simple and conveniently operated, but its service conduces to cleanliness.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown and described; but reserve the right to all modifications within the scope of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a penholder includin g a stock or handle, of a fixed and a movable shank each provided at'its forward end with a clamping-jaw and a clasp slidingly embracing said shanks for opening and closing the jaws, said clasp having a normally springprojectedspindle extending to and in guided relation with respect to said stock or handle.

2. The combination with a penholder comprising a longitudinallyrecessed stock or handle, with lateral opening intersecting said recess, of a fixed and a movable shank each provided at its forward end witha clampingjaw, and a clasp slidingly embracing said shanks for opening and closing the jaws, said clasp having a normally spring-projected spindle playing within the stock-recess and provided with a lug extending through the lateral opening in said stock.

3. The combination with a penholder, of a fixed and a movable shank each provided at its forward end with a clamping-jaw, and said shanks having their rear parts provided with oppositely located divergent faces, and a normally spring-projected spindle slidingly guided relative to the forward parts of said shanks and provided with a claspmovably embracing said shanks for opening and closing the jaws and with a wedge for coaction with the divergent faces of the shanks, said spindle extending in operable relation with respect to the handle.

4. The combination with a penholder including a longitudinally-recessed handle containing a lateral opening intersecting said recess, and a metal tube having a rearwardly extending tongue containing a slot coinciding with said lateral opening, of a fixed and a movable shank within said tube and having clamping-jaws at their front ends, and with rear divergent parts, a clasp slidingly embracing said shanks, and a spindle connected with Signed at Minoa, in the county of Onondaga said clasp and having a wedge movable beand State of New York, thiss6th day ofApril, tween the divergent parts, said spindle play- A. D. 1904:.

ing within the handle-recess and provided With i GILBERT L. BLACK. a lug extending through the handle-slot, and a Witnesses: spring normally projecting said spindle and .F.; R. SHOEMAKER, clasp. C; M. SHOEMAKER. 

